Fisher, C. B., Wallace, S. A., & Fenton, R. E. (2000). Discrimination Distress During Adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29, 679–695.

Abstract

Examined the extent to which adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds experience distress in response to perceived instances of racial discrimination. In addition, the relationship of discrimination-based distress to parental messages about race relationships and self-esteem was explored. The Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index along with measures of caregiver racial bias preparation and self-esteem was administered to 177 13–19 yr olds of different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Youth from all ethnic backgrounds reported distress associated with instances of perceived racial prejudice encountered in educational contexts. Instances of institutional discrimination in stores and by police were higher for older youth and particularly for African American and Hispanic teenagers. Encounters with peer discrimination were reported most frequently by Asian youth. Reports of racial bias preparation were associated with distress in response to institutional and educational discrimination and self-esteem scores were negatively correlated with distress caused by educational and peer discrimination. The importance of research on discrimination distress to understanding adolescent development in multiethnic ecologies is discussed here. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)